Meet Lavada Dale, Mother, Entrepreneur, and author of The War between My Mind, My Soul, My God and The Tears of an Inmates Wife. In 2014, Lavada launched Haircredible, a hair care line that caters to women with fine hair and extensions. Fast forward three years she’s a successful business owner ready to share her story. Check out our interview with Lavada to find out why we #COSIGN her.

Growing up in New Jersey, what were you into that you believe helped shape you to become the amazing author and entrepreneur that you currently are?

For me, working in Manhattan shaped me into becoming a true go-getter. I worked as a concierge in a high rise condominium for 10 years and entrepreneurs that were worth millions lived there. Going to work and being around that environment, as well as holding conversations with them, helped shape me. I picked their brains, as well as going out networking, joining groups, seminars, and attending lectures.

As an author, who is your target audience for your books? And what do you want them to receive once they read your work?

My audience is mostly women and mothers. When moms read my book, I want them to be inspired to recreate themselves into the bold and confident women they are. I want them to go for whatever they always wanted to accomplish in life.

Being a mother of five and an entrepreneur, how do you balance your life and make sure you have time for everyone and everything?

I just take it a day at a time. With newborn twins, and my son that just turned one, it is super hard. How can you plan ahead when you have three babies in diapers? My daughters are great big sisters and I always tell them, “If you guys want a big house, you have to help mommy,” and it always works. My family plays a big part in my life, and with great support, I am able to make time for everyone.

A few years ago, you launched Haircredible, tell us what led you to creating this hair care line and how difficult is it for women to enter this industry?

I started because I go through something called alopecia and its depressing, embarrassing, and knocks down your self-esteem tremendously. I had to get steriod needle injections in my head, just so that my hair can at least start growth through the scalp, being that alopecia causes major balding. However, doctors told me I will only grow out that little fuzz on my head that was about an inch and that no hair care line will ever have me grow past that length. So, since no hair care line will help me, I CREATED MY OWN! I refuse to keep getting steriods injected in my head for hair growth.

With hair care becoming a very popular trend, how do you make your product stand out?

HC stands out because no one is catering to fine hair. The natural hair movement is so large that the majority of the lines say they cater to “all hair types.” However, the only models that they promote are the 4c and women with thick coily or thick curly hair. Nobody pays attention to women with fine hair because nobody thinks fine hair is beautiful. Our hair is flat, has little to no volume, and limp. We can’t hold a hairstyle and many women don’t know what to do with their hair. So thats where we come along to teach you, build your confidence back up, and have your own look! I’m tired of women with fine hair admiring all the women that have this big, thick hair. Understand that it is time to admire yourself and to look at yourself the same way, or even better than, the way you look at others. Self love is in order over here!

How hands-on are you with your books and hair care line?

I’m super hands on. I write and publish my books. Same thing for my hair care line as well. I help formulate the formulas with the chemist, letting them know what oils, etc., I want in my product. I conduct the testing and focus groups before I officially approve something, to make sure I get people’s opinions. I pick out the packaging, how I want bottles to look, bottle tops, smell, just everything.

BUSINESS TIPS

What steps should a fellow entrepreneur take to become an author?

Always read and learn from other authors. It’s so much information out here that you can literally start writing with no problem. However, with so many authors out here, you always want to continue to learn from the best sellers, because they can teach you things you never knew anything about and that can help you. First step is to just START! It’s the hardest step, truthfully.

How does one become a self-published author?

I can only say I learned how to self publish by hanging around other self publishers. Networking is the best tool you can ever have and so is taking notes. I lied and joined a club of published authors just so I could pick their brains. Let’s just say after about a month, I was on my way to becoming a published author.

What marketing strategies have you utilized to promote your hair care line and books?

Well currently I am working on my very own beauty, empowerment, and motherhood app, where you will be able to go get my books and anything that I come out with. But for haircredible, social media alone is a great platform, however we are currently working on video marketing more because lately it has been very effective, so we are going to stick with that.

How do you define success?

Success is being able to work on your passion, have and be around great family, and enjoying the fruits of your labor with family. It’s a great feeling when you’re busting your back for your company and not someone else’s.

What are 3 things you recommend every entrepreneur should do in order to become successful in their industry?

Be innovative, stay consistent, and your drive has to be on a whole other level because no matter what you do the industry is so over saturated and you have to stand out.